The Legend of The Goddess' Wand
by Cradger
Summary: Link has saved Termina from the Majora and has returned to Hyrule to continue his search for his lost and dear friend, Navi. However, he meets with yet another terrible fate and meets up with humans from a place called Hogwarts, called Harry, Ron and Hermione, who are all third years. Can they find a way to get them back home and can they reverse the curse which was cast upon Link?
1. Chapter 1

**First thing's first- I'm so sorry about the chapter length! I know, they're so short! Oh, well. **

**This is actually a Roleplay which me and my friend have been writing for a while now, and I though it would be nice to post it on here for everyone to see! :) **

**My friend is in control of Hermione, Naia and Petrel, so far and I'm in charge of all the others.**

**All I can say now is sit back and enjoy! :)**

* * *

Light scattered across the wilting grass, the canopy of brownish leaves making it speckled and sparse. The undergrowth was dead, as if wasted by a catching and deadly disease. Silence filled the forest.  
Suddenly, the silence was cracked by the rapt breathing of a boy who was around thirteen years old, maybe a bit older. It was a rhythm which would be used by a wounded man.  
He stumbled into the small clearing, clutching his side, his blonde hair hanging limp over his face and almost reaching his shoulders. His floppy green hat fell off as he collapsed next to a small pool of clear water; the only thing that had not been ruined by the curse which was cast upon this forest. If only he had known...  
He clawed his way across the dry ground in pure agony, his side impaled with a Stalfos' rapier. He looked into the pool and saw himself looking back at him. He was pale as a ghost and his bright blue eyes seemed to have lost their normal glow of courage. A single tear slid down his long nose and rippled the surface of the pool and he took a long intake of breath as he tried to steady his breathing.  
He fell backwards into a tree and crumpled against it, sobbing in renewed pain. "Navi." He rasped. His once forest green tunic was stained scarlet with blood and his hands slowly grasped the hilt of the rapier, shaking in the effort to clench his muscles to pull it out.  
His scream echoed around the forest, scaring the few things left alive in it.  
The rapier rolled across the stiff grass and fell into the pure water, dying it red.  
He gasped and spluttered, holding the wound with scrunched up eyes.  
A royal blue ocarina bounced dully out of his shaking hands and stopped just before the water's edge.  
Link's eyes flickered bright red for a moment and he looked down at his hands. He gasped and almost yelled with horror. They were skeletal.  
Naia flew through the dead forest. she remembered when it was alive. The place saddened her.  
Her head whipped round at the sound of a young boys scream. It was blood chilling. She took with her some water fom Nayru's spring in a pouch. She flew through skeletal trees, past dried stumps and mud flats.  
She saw a boy next to a pond. His hand was white. Her eyes widened as she saw he was almost a skeleton. She was scared of it. ITs kind harmed faes. The scream came again, she was chilled once more and flew to his assitance, her blue hair flying behind her. She was further aghast as she breathed.  
"You are the goddesses' chosen hero. The Hero of Time!"  
"Navi?" His vision was blurred and he barely recognised his voice, it was so slurred and unworldly. He looked her up and down and sighed, "No. No. Not Navi."  
Link's head suddenly felt like it was going to split open with pain and he rolled away from the tree in pain, holding his head, trying to sooth it. Was this the end of the Hero of Time? Could it be? There would be no one there to save Hyrule, their land if he was dead.  
However... His eyes widened. "You! Fairy! Get the ocarina! Quickly!"  
Naia flew immediately to the large (compared to her) blue instrument.  
"NOW IS NO TIME FOR MUSICAL SERENADES!" She screamed at the green boy. However she picked it up and decided to give it to him. This could be his dying wish.  
His hand flew up and he caught it firmly; This was his only hope. He raised the ocarina to his lips and blew a tune into it.  
All of a sudden, the whole of time seemed to lurch and within a blink of an eye, he was in exactly the same place, but almost fully healed, a few scars still left, but the woods around him seemed to be flourishing.  
He sighed in relief and got to his feet, walking quickly over to his hat and placing it firmly on his head. But wait... That was a lot further down than he'd normally have to stoop...  
He whisked around and ran to the pool of water, looking at his reflection with complete confusion. He was seventeen years old. Human again, but still, seventeen years old. He stuck his hand hastily in the pool and felt his hand close around the hilt of a worn rapier. He pulled it out. He hadn't gone back in time like he had intended to; he had gone forwards four years!  
"Damn." He swore, throwing the sword roughly on the ground and looked up at the fairy who had been caught in the time warp with him. "Well? Off you go then. I've got my own fairy to look for."  
He wasn't going to give up. He was going to carry on searching, even if it killed him.  
Naia was disgusted,insulted and utterly scandalized. She exploded in a ball of angry, blue fury.  
"HOW VERY DAAAARE YOU! YOU DOUBLE CROSSING, SLIMY, TWO FACED DODONGO! I SAVE YOUR SORRY **** AND THIS IS HOW YOU THANK ME,? MAY NAYRU CURSE YOUR PATHETIC LITTLE... AAAh! My foot! Nonono! Stop walking! Stopstopstop! NOOO!" During this rampage she had been kicking link in the eye, but unfortunately she was too tiny to cause any real pain. Near the end her foot had gotten tangled in a blond strand of hair. She was now being pulled by her foot against her will, upside down and flailing.  
Link stopped and untangled her from his hair. "Well what do you want to do?" He said, carrying on walking and hitching the Master sword on his shoulder, just in case of more monsters. "By all means, come with me!" He turned around and started to walk backwards, "I could need some company, anyway."

" Company?! COMPANY!? HA!" naia scoffed. " your too full of bravado. Remember. I'm a fairy." she snapped her fingers and blue sparks flew. A monocle dropped onto link's eye. She smiled mischiviously.

He carefully took it off, smiling at the fairy. "Do you like adventure?"

She rolled her eyes and said " I wouldn't have come and saved your butt if I didn't, which reminds me..." she said " buuut...I think ive got over that now.." she made a pair of rabbit ears land on his head and giggled. "definitely have now"  
Link laughed. "Right." He turned around so he was facing forwards again and said, "I am searching for two things. One is my old and dear fairy friend, Navi, the other is the legendary Kokiri sword."  
Her mouth dropped. " the kook kook...kokiri sword? But... Are you saying you are chosen by the goddesses ?"  
"Yes." He vaulted a fallen tree and said, "I used to use it before I pulled the Master Sword from it's pedestal. However, I have just learnt- I mean, four years ago, I learnt that that sword is more important than I originally thought it was." He gave Naia a sidelong glance, "It's not just a sword. It used to be the sword of a demon king. How ironic that I came to find use of it." His eyes darkened.  
"Any i deas where to start looking then? OH! and i suggest we dont go back to where we just were with you all..." she shivered "skeleton-y" she darted to keep up with him and sat delicately on his hat.  
"Well, we could ask around Hyrule castle town but I think we should start looking around near the Great Deku Tree. That's where I last saw it, anyway." Link smiled as his mind flashed with memories of the Great Deku Tree and his ten year long life as a Kokiri before he was told that he was actually a Hylian.  
Playing around his roots, hitting out of reach fruits from near by trees and talking to him about how when he was older, he would travel around Hyrule, maybe even more countries than that.  
The Great Deku tree had sadly died, however, after an evil force had pervaded the forest and tortured the enormous and powerful tree until Link had saved him on his last breaths. So near but yet too late.  
He lead the way briskly through the woods, noticing every slight rustle of a leaf, every breath of wind.  
Finally, they reached a clearing where a massive and imposing tree stood, its death bed made of its own leaves, its memories strewn, dancing lightly around the forest.  
Link had to stop himself from making a slight choking sound of longing and regret, maybe even home sickness as he made his way slowly over to this once major fatherly figure.  
He patted the bark with a shaking hand. He finally felt that he was back home. However, it felt sort of derelict, as if no one had set foot in this clearing for years.  
Naia felt an aura of immense magic, but it was almost hollow, almost stale. "link...I don't think the great deku tree can help us..." she flew up to the tree and placed a miniscule hand on the bark that peeled. She sat on a branch looking mournful at link.  
"I know." He muttered, traipsing around the tree and looking carefully among it's roots. "I just feel... Somewhat content. Aha." He stooped down and took a firm hold of a normal looking branch. "If my memory serves me right then..." He pulled hard on the branch until a big chunk of ground in front of him fell away, revealing a kind of chute big enough for a relatively lean person to slide down. "Down here!" He called to the fairy. "I know it is! The sword is down here!"  
" link, I respect your opinion to slide into a dark, dangerous place. But you won't be able to fly back out if there's danger. And, well..." She gestured towards it. " it just screams 'danger'"  
"As soon as we get that sword, I still have a warping stone. We can get out easily." And before Naia could say anything else, he sat on the edge of the chute so that his legs were dangling in it. "See you down there, then!" He grinned and pushed himself into the chute.  
He would have enjoyed it, yes, if there wasn't so many twists and turns and bumps in the slide so that with every turn, his coxic got bruised even more than it already was. It was dark, dingy and had that horrible feel that no one had been in there for ages, the walls were dripping with lichen and other horrid stuff which he'd rather not know the origin of.  
Finally, the tunnel grew brighter and he was suddenly shot out of the end of the chute and he splashed into a pool full of musty brown water. Well, at least that's what he hoped it was.  
He rolled through the water and slammed into the opposite wall, rolling backwards again and ending up, face down on a very earthy and squelchy floor.  
Oh the joys of dungeons, he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Naia muttered something about crazy boys, and flew slowly down the tube. She winced at the slime dripping from the cieling and eventually emerged.  
"Remind me to never follow you into a dark, damp, horrible place ever again!" She shook slime off her finger at 'dark', 'damp' and dried herself like a dog at 'horrible'.  
She noticed link sitting in a muddy puddle.  
"I dearly hope that you didnt cause that puddle…" she said.  
"No." He scrambled to his feet. Looking around him, he noticed that there were two very narrow and very dark tunnels leading off from what seemed like this entrance room they were stood in. "You choose; which way?"  
"Only one way to find out."she said." we split up. you go left and i will go right. take a torch and this string. it will show you the way back. Shout if you need help" she flew down the tunnel to the right and didnt slow, or look back.  
"Right." He turned on his heel and started to walk down the left hand tunnel, the flame in front of him dancing across the curved walls.  
Everything was silent. Too silent.  
Every flicker of a shadow, every sound of a water droplet hitting the floor made Link flinch. His sword was held out in front of him, ready for any attack.  
All of a sudden, with an astonishing crash, a massive, human sized single hand only just missed Link as he rolled out of the way.  
He stood in a ready stance, facing the wallmaster and ready to attack.  
Naia tried to lighten the mood by whisting 'eye of the tiger' and performing actions. Her voice faultered now and again. She saw only black ahead. It turned out to be a stalactite, she collided and fell.  
Link blocked an attack from the wallmaster with his shield and stabbed it hard in the little finger. It recoiled for a second then went in for another attack, only invigorated by it's new wound.  
Link smacked his lips in concentration to find the monster's weakness and performed a spin attack when the hand reared on it's wrist, sending it flying onto it's back.  
He quickly pulled off a finishing blow to the middle of the hand and withdrew the sword as it curled up grotesquely and disappeared in a blast of black smoke.  
Continuing down the corridor indifferently, he silently hoped that he would find that Kokiri sword soon...  
Naia had not noticed any of the mini-battle and said simply "don't dawdle...you wanna find this Kokiri sword or not? strange..i expected more obstacles..." and flew on, unaware of the hand attack.  
Link carried on down after her, rolling his eyes.  
"BALLISTIC BAY TREES!? what happened to you? HONESTLY! we walk down ONE dark corridor and you are already injured! what did you do? walk into the wall and stab yourself?" She said, exasperated.  
"For your information, a Wallmaster attacked me, so keep your voice down, please!" He saw a greater light ahead and hastened his pace.  
"I know you are embarrassed about hurting your self and being a clutz, BUT there is NO NEED TO MAKE UP STUPID STORIES Ab..FFF! PFFTFT!" Naia was cut off by a knurled hand catching her . It emerged from the shadows and roared at link, drooling with possibility of death. It was a shadow beast, and it had Naia.  
Link immediately drew the Master Sword again, charging at the beast and performing a powerful spin attack.  
Naia was NOT impressed, and more than a little scared. She kicked and screamed, she tried to say 'NAYRU HELP ME!' but it came out as "mayweru fedlf fme!" she tried magic, but it weakened the monster only slightly. She was going to have to rely on Link. Great.  
Link charged forwards and drove his blade through the monster's chest, hearing it's scream as it released Naia and fell to the floor, dead.  
Link wiped blood away from his forehead, a small wound traced across it.  
Naia had become unconscious from the unexpected fall. Had she been fully concious, she would have been fairly freaked out by the sensation of a solid object suddenly turn into transparent squares and fade into shadow, twilight almost. But she was unconscious and otherwise unharmed, save a scratch or two and some bad bruises.  
Link stooped down and picked her up, shaking her a little, "Wake up!" He said in a hushed voice, we're almost there! I know it!" He shook his head, rummaging around in his adventure pouch then withdrawing a large clear glass bottle of water, unstopping it and pouring it over the fairy.  
The fairy remained unconscious and fairly limp in his hand. Her head lolled, her arms splayed.  
"Right, then." Link said to himself, slipping the fairy into his Ruppee pouch, which was sadly empty.  
He set off down the tunnel more, holding his sword out in front of him again.  
Finally, he reached a wide open room, just as dingy as the tunnels, however.  
It was empty. The room was circular and tall, long dead undergrowth climbing up the walls and crawling along the floor.  
The silence unnerved Link. In his experience, a room this big was almost always the territory of something which certainly didn't want anything that entered to exit alive.  
He neared the centre of the room, taking care in every step, his eyes darting about, eyeing the different features of the chamber cautiously.  
"Please don't creep up on me, pleeeaase." He muttered to himself.  
A drop of slime fell into a puddle near the the entrance which he had just come through, and he jumped at the echoing sound. Gathering himself together again, he continued forwards.  
"So you're looking for a sword?" Link yelled in shock at the voice which suddenly came to him and dropped his sword on his foot. He screamed in agony and fell backwards onto the sodden floor, holding his foot. Blood was blooming over his boot from a wound which stretched over the joint to his big toe.  
The rasping voice chuckled, "I don't even need to touch you to hurt you! You just do it yourself!" He sounded wounded, as if he had been gripped by a wasting disease.  
Link held his breath, trying to calm himself down.  
He pushed himself into a sitting position and stared at the thing which was stood a few metres away from him, right in the centre of the room.  
It was a humanoid, but it looked like it's body was made out of pure, solid metal. His body was a deep, crimson reddish-brown. His eyes were hollow and pure white, his plastic-looking white hair covering one of his eyes. He had a massive red crystal embedded in his chest. It was glowing and was cracked as if it had been impaled with a sword. Simple white markings decorated his body, which was chipped and malnourished and as slimy as the dungeon in which he resided in.  
"Who are you?" Link gasped.  
"Ghirahim. Once a demon lord." His eyes flickered with a little regret. "Once, a Demon King's powerful sword. Now a sword which is barely more than a dagger."  
Link's eyes darted to the diamond on his chest as gasped. That jewel was a bigger version of the one on the Kokiri sword's hilt.  
This being WAS the Kokiri Sword!


	3. Chapter 3

Naia was thoroughly unconscious. But she could still see the strange man in the chamber using her semi-concious Fae sense. She could not inflict change but hovered, unseen, unfelt near the unknowing man, demon, whatever he was and inspected the old power emanating from him.  
Link got slowly to his feet, balancing on his one good foot and picking up the Master Sword. "Y-you're the Kokiri Sword, aren't you."  
The being smiled as sly smile, "To some extent, yes. However," He disappeared in a shower of black and red diamonds, but his voice still echoed around the room, "I prefer to be known as Lord Ghirahim."  
Link backed up, looking around for the strange thing called Ghirahim.  
All of a sudden, he felt a hand slip onto each shoulder from behind and he gasped as Ghirahim's head appeared beside him. "And I need to escape this place."  
"O-OK..." Link was properly scared.  
Suddenly, a long, frog like tongue flicked out millimetres away from his ear. He yelped and stumbled away, tripping over yet again.  
Naia was angered by his rudeness. She flew over and screamed, kicked and punched but her arms never contacted this dangerous stranger. She cried out with impatience and realised she had heard of him before...  
Link shuffled backwards as the Demon Lord stalked forwards, smiling as he turned himself into something which looked more human. His skin was ice white. So was his catsuit, hair and lips. His eyes had shadow on them (purple) and were big and black.  
"That's better." Ghirahim smirked. He clicked his fingers and a long black rapier appeared out of thin air. He held the point to Link's throat. "Now. You are going to get me out of here."  
"A-and what else?" Link could sense a catch.  
"All I ask is to meet the Princess."  
"Princess Zelda?"  
"Yes."  
Link lowered his head, weighing the odds. "OK. But you do nothing except talk. Nothing else. No sly plans or ways to take over Hyrule."  
"oh, no no nooo." Link felt the blade push a bit further to his skin, "I just want to have a life again." He grabbed the fairy by the hair.  
"I... Can get you out of here..." He reached up, grabbed the sword and took out the warp stone he had told Naia about earlier. It glowed and within a blink of an eye, they were stood, sat and hanging by the hair before the Great Deku tree in the fresh air again.  
In Naia's fairy vison she was rampaging and screaming. She protested so much that she woke up in a large hand gripping her head. She panicked and rage poured out of her tiny mouth.  
"GET OFF ME YOU IMBECILE! THAT!" she gestured at Ghirahim, "CANNOT BE TRUSTED!" She flailed and kicked at the hand. She calmed to a rage, "So you just meet this CREEP, and decide to give him EVERYTHING HE WANTS! an audience with the princess whilst she is vulnerable...yeah THAT SEEMS A GOOD IDEA!"  
"She won't be vulnerable, because we'll be there to protect her if he does decide to pull an attack on her!" Link got to his feet as Ghirahim let the fairy go, stepping back in surprise of the rage.  
"If you haven't noticed, we have got what we went in there for, in the first place!" Link was angry with how she was always so ignorant to how he was planning it all out. If only she just conveyed with him before she shouted...  
Naia was still livid and decided to turn her rage to the other blonde.  
"HOW DARE YOU MAN HANDLE ME LIKE THAT!?" she took out two fingers, pointed to her eyes and then Ghirahim. "I'm watchin' you, blondie" She flew ahead in rage.  
"I'm not finished talking with you, Fairy!" Link thundered, storming after her, Ghirahim following with a bemused face.  
"I just saved your arse back there from that monster and all you have to say is even more criticism?! What you're forgetting, missy, is that I have done this all before! I can look after myself!"  
"WELL LET...Wait...You know the Princess and have done this before? You..? WHAT?" Naia turned from anger to confusion.  
"I'm not just called the Hero of Time because I felt like it!" He said very loudly, the trees around them shaking as birds took flight. "I had to work hard to earn that title!"  
"Somehow, I feel story time coming on. So you're saying you saved the world before you were, what, Sixteen? How did you manage that?"  
Link was fuming, breathing heavily out of his nose and talking fast through barred teeth. "When I was ten, I drew the Master Sword from it's pedestal and was put into an enchanted sleep for seven years. I then defeated the dark lord Ganondorf, was sent back in time to relive the seven years I had missed out on and here we are! AGH!" He screamed as a horrible, electric shooting pain bolted up his spine and down his left arm, his legs buckling beneath him. He fell into a tree, a branch cutting deep into his cheek.  
"Ow." He muttered, gaining his balance again and rubbing his arm in confusion.  
"Uh," Ghirahim pointed at Link's cheek, "You've quite a lot of blood."  
Link raised his hand and wiped off the blood, watching it coat his hand red as well as the branch that had hurt him.  
"WHAT HAPPENED?" Naia shouted. She suspected the odd stranger.  
He got to his feet again, using the tree to help him up. "I'm fine." He growled. His hand flew to his throat as he heard the raspiness of his voice. It sounded strangely echoey and unworldly.  
"Please excuse me a moment..." Link slipped off through the undergrowth. His fists were balled and teeth gritted. He was missing Navi more and more with every passing moment with that new fairy. He was even starting to miss Tatl, his last friend and companion.  
Link's breath was fast and he paced up and down, eyes ablaze.  
A rustle. A snap. The Master Sword was drawn as quick as a flash and was flung across a few metres to stick fast into a tree, narrowly missing a tall and gangly red-haired thirteen-year-old boy.  
The boy yelled in shock and covered his head with his arms. He was wearing long black robes and his face was mottled with freckles. "What the-"  
"Who the hell are you?" Link raged.  
"Ron! Ron! Just don't hurt me!" The boy cowered.


	4. Chapter 4

Naia flew onto a leaf in a bush slightly further down the path, in her anger she hadnt noticed the RON...whatever that was. She was thinking over the prior situation and the suspicious stranger when she heard a quiet whisper.  
"Where's Ron? I TOLD him not to go..." It sounded worried, it was behind her. She ventured into the bush and found a girl and a boy.  
"LINK! There's something here..." She yelled.  
The boy had scruffy, jet black hair and bright green eyes. He wore robes like Ron's and round glasses, a lightning shaped scar on his forehead above his right eye.  
He fought his way out of the bush and drew a stick from an inside pocket on his robes. He pointed it at Link like a sword.  
"What, are you going to murder me with a piece of wood?" Link laughed, turning towards the boy and relaxing.  
All of sudden, a blast of light burst from the tip of the stick, narrowly missing a spooked Link and exploding on the tree behind him.  
Link couldn't think of anything to say except from, "DUDE! WHAT THE HELL? MAGIC?"  
"Oh, wow, the kid has a magic wand, let's all scream like little girls, AAAGGGGGHHH!" The boy said sarcastically.  
"What-"  
"You try to kill my friend, I have all the right to curse you."  
"WHO ARE YOU?" Link was now freaking out. After finding Ghirahim, he was ready to snap at anything.  
"Harry Potter." Harry said simply, raising his eyebrows.  
A voice came out of no where and Hermione's invisible hand laid on Harry's shoulder.  
"Where are we? How so we get home?" She whispered. She sounded scared.  
"I don't know- Where are we?" Harry raised his voice to talk to Link.  
"Just outside Kokiri forest." Link said after calming down a little. "I am going to ask; who are you, where have you come from and why are you here?"  
"I..I..kokri..kikir..kokoki WHEREVER you said, doesn't exist. You're making it up. I got top scores in geography and there is no kooki forest on earth." Hermione said. Naia flew up to her. "Well, I don't know about geography...but you aren't at EARTH. This is hyrule." Naia said gently. Hermione gasped. "A FAIRY! Gosh... Like..tinkerbell...this doesn't look like the average pixie.." her hand reached out to hold the fairy. "PIXIE?! I am a FAIRY ohohogp!" she was plucked out of the air by Hermione's curious fingers.  
"Keep her." Link grumbled, sheathing the Master Sword. He paused, "Earth? So that means... NO WAY!" His face lit up, "YOU'RE ALIENS!"  
Hermione was entranced by the fairy, but heard link. "We are most certainly NOT ALIENS. If anything" She dropped her arms to her side, "YOU are."  
Naia circled her, but she dropped down to the black-haired boy.  
"This one has strange shiny goggles on his face." Naia caught sight of a slash of red on his forehead and lifted a small tuft of hair. "Gosh! Are you hurt?"  
"No..." Harry raised his eyebrows even higher, "And these are glasses." He pointed to the 'goggles'.  
"We don't have time for this, Naia, we need to get to the castle." Link stopped dead, "Where's Ghirahim?"  
"Now you're lucky that I stay true to my word, aren't you?" Ghirahim stalked towards them, his expression bored.  
Naia turned to the pale man. "LUCK has nothing to do with it. you just want your end of the deal. YOU..."  
Hermione cut her off. "Castle?! Do you have... wizards at the castle? could they help us back to... Hogwarts?"  
"Hogwarts?" Link laughed, "What's that? No, this is Hyrule, I told you."  
"But are there... wizards you know..." she removed her wand and held it pointed at the green hat "winGARdium leviOSa" she finished.  
Link made a grab for his hat as it levitated off his head. He yanked it out of the air, giving Hermione a glare. "If you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you left my hat alone."  
"S..sorry." She stammered, "But ARE there any wizards in this castle you were talking about?" She looked scared but hopeful.  
"Well, Zelda might..." Link pondered for a moment or two, "Ugh, come on, then. I can't leave you lot here to starve."


	5. Chapter 5

Naia fluttered over to link. "What do you think a Hogwarts is?" She whispered.  
Link shrugged, "I think it's a school."  
They were soon out of Kokiri forest and in Hyrule field, the castle looming over it.  
Link grinned broadly. "It's good to be back." He raised the Ocarina to his lips and played a tune.  
A palomino horse came galloping towards them, whinnying in happiness as she saw her master. He opened his arms wide, hugging his horse tightly. "Epona!"  
They made their way towards Hyrule castle.  
"Oh my DIN!" A squeal emitted from the ranch gates in the middle of the field and Link looked around to see a familiar long haired red head with big blue eyes. She ran forwards, looking at him as if he was an alien.  
She gasped tears, "LINK!?" Her arms flung around him, pulling him into a tight, friendly hug. "Bu-but you were dead! Hylian soldiers found your dead body!"  
"Well, I'm here." He grinned, patting her back.  
Naia observed the scene, emotional tears forming. Hermione opened her mouth to talk, but Naia held a finger to her lips, signalling silence.  
"We've got some business at the castle. We'll be back soon, though." Link said, letting go.  
"OK!" Malon ran back to the farm. "We'll have some milk ready!"  
Link laughed, "Thanks!"

* * *

Soon, they were stood at the gates to the castle.  
"What do you mean I can't see Princess Zelda?" Link said angrily to a guard.  
"You're only a kid."  
"A kid? I'm the Hero of bloody time!"  
The guard laughed, "Yeah right!"  
Link roughly pulled out the ocarina again, thrusting it in the soldier's face.  
"Oh... Fine... go through."  
"Link... What was that...?" Hermione inquired. "It looked like a hair dryer..."  
"The Ocarina of Time." Link murmured, slipping it back into his pocket and starting up the lawn of the castle, nodding respectfully to soldiers.  
He took a glance up at the towers above and let a slight smile creep up his face.  
They entered through the front doors, through which Link had actually never entered through before, even though he had been in the castle at least twice before.  
Harry and Ron were staring around at the new scenery, taking almost every single thing in.  
Soon, they got to a courtyard which was full of grass. A pretty young lady with long in an elegant and regal pink dress was stood on an elevated bit of cobblestone in the centre.  
Link couldn't help it, he grinned. "Princess." He breathed.  
A little gasp came from the woman and she spun around, her bright blue eyes falling upon her old Hero. "L-Link!?"  
He knelt down on one knee, stooping into a deeply respectful bow.  
"Stand up!" Zelda said impatiently. He could hear her footsteps running towards him and he stood up just in time to almost get bowled over by the Princess' hug. He managed to keep his balance, however.  
"Never!" She drew back, hitting him on the arm, "Ever do that again!" She hit him with every syllable and he chuckled, drawing back from her. "I thought you were dead!"  
"I did." He smiled.  
Hermione marvelled at the huge towers, strung with drapes, the guard tower and its portcullis. She also looked inquisitively at the inhabitants of this land. She felt out of place in her robe. Especially out of place when she saw the beautiful princess. She felt in awe of this kingdom, and she curtsied. Then pointedly looked at the boys to follow suit. "Well don't stand there gawping!" She whispered breathlessly.  
Harry and Ron sunk into bows as well, exchanging glances.  
"What happened to you?" Zelda said, taking a closer look at the cuts on his hand and the dry blood on his boot.  
"Well..." He looked at Naia for help.  
"Is that... Navi? Did you find her?"  
"No." Link said a lot faster and a lot more stiffly than he had intended to. "Uh..." He backed up and presented the fairy to the princess. "Princess, this is Naia. She... Helped me in my time of need. And she is a lot better at explaining than I am. So, off you go, Naia!" He smirked at her and Zelda let a little giggle escape her lips.  
"What?!... erm.. hummnm.." Naia laughed awkwardly, curtsied and said "Well, I come from Nayru's spring, in the far east of Hyrule between the woods and Zora's domain.. but of course you already know where that is..." Her face reddened and her smile faded, "I left the spring for a while, heard screaming, pain. No-one would investigate, in case it was someone who would unbalance the nature of the spring, but I-" She coughed, cleared her throat and continued. " There I found Link, loosing blood, quite a lot of it..and, well... he came round and I decided I would help him look for his fairy, and we found THIS person" She gestured at Ghirahim. "And, My Lady, these HUMANS" She finished on a note of awe.  
"Humans?" Zelda walked up to the students. "Please stand."  
The boys stood up straight again.  
Zelda considered them for a moment and then said, "You are from Hogwarts, correct?"  
"Y-yes." Harry said quickly.  
"Hm. That is a long way from here." She looked inquisitively at Hermione, "How did you get here?"  
"We hardly know... It could have been a portkey..." Hermione looked puzzled. "We found ourselves in a forest and happened upon these three.." She stopped again "We would be grateful for details on where we are and how you think we could get home *gulp*... if we can get home" Fear showed in her eyes, but she hastily finished "er... your highness."


	6. Chapter 6

"Oh, yes, of course you can!" Zelda nodded. "It'll just take some work, that's all!"  
"What- sorry, your highness," Ghirahim spoke in the presence of the Princess for the first time. "But, what happened before you were transported here?"  
Harry and Ron both shrugged, looking pointedly at Hermione.  
"Well... I was asleep. All I remember was waking up with that BUFFOON-" She looked pointedly at Ron, "-staring at me trying to wake me up. Slightly unnerving" She blushed and looked awkwardly away. "OH! " she remembered "What are these things? I was walking in the grass, dragging my feet and these fell, out...of it.." She held six glittering green jems and two blue ones in her hand, they glistened in the sun.  
"That is our currency." Zelda said simply, "Keep it and buy some... more native clothes with them." She looked them up and down. "You look a bit smaller than me." She nodded at Hermione. "You can have some of my dresses which I have grown out of. But you two will need to use the Rupees in Lady Hermione's hands to buy some clothes. Don't take advice from Link, by the way."  
"Well excuuuse me, Princess, but I didn't chose these clothes! They're the Hero's clothes, apparently inherited from my ancestors, so of course it's going to be a bit out-dated." Link said, taking offence to that comment.  
Zelda giggled again. "I can reserve you some rooms in the castle." She smiled. "Off you go."  
Hermione's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. a PRINCESS'S dress? She could not imagine anything more amazing. Naia giggled and looked at Link. "I hope you washed them between ancestors, or maybe not, you DO smell!"  
Hermione managed to shake her awe and amazement and say "See? LADY Hermione! This place is amazing!"  
"If you give the boys the Rupees then come with me. You two-" Princess Zelda turned to Harry and Ron, "Go with Link and Naia to the town and buy some clothes with the Rupees. Ghirahim, we will drop you off at the Throne Room. Come on." And with that, she glided from the courtyard, Hermione and Ghirahim following her.  
Once she was out of earshot, Link said, "Of course I wash them, Naia and that smell is because we've just been below a dead tree. C'mon."  
He followed his previous path back through the castle and they were soon in the town centre.  
It was buzzing with the citizens who had come for the daily market. Link beconned Harry and Ron over to a stand selling average male clothes.  
"Take your pick!" He grinned.  
Harry leant over the stall a bit to have a look around at the different clothes.  
"Ah!" A plump and jolly looking woman manning the stall smiled, "Looking for something to fit in, are you?" She bustled around the wood blocking her from the customers, "Not to worry, dear, we get visitors all the time here!"  
Harry hesitated, then said, "How do I find something?"  
"Don't worry, I'll find something which I'm sure you'll like." The woman went back into her stall, looking around at the clothes.  
Hermoine followed Princess Zelda feeling very privaliged. A rather skinny lady curtsied politely and engaged the princes in talk. Hermione stayed silent, and slightly uncomfortable about the sneering stares the woman gave her.  
Soon, Harry was dressed in a dark crimson and deep gold hylian looking long sleeved shirt and trousers with brown boots and gauntlets.  
"Doesn't look too bad, actually." Link raised his eyebrows, rubbing his chin with his hand and feeling stubble. "Great. Forgot about that." He shrugged and carried on, turning to the woman, "How much is it?"  
"I'd say... Twenty rupees for all of it."  
"Good." He muttered to Harry, "The red one."  
Harry handed over the red rupee and squeezed the robes into the adventure pouch which came with the belt.  
"Right... Ron?" Harry turned to him and burst out laughing.  
"Why do I have to have the dress?" Ron moaned to the lady.  
"It's not a dress," She chuckled, "It's a tunic. Look, your friend has one." She nodded to Link, who took one look at Ron and puffed out his cheeks to stop himself from laughing, "To be honest, I don't think he's the... Tunic type of person."  
Naia face-palmed. "No... look Link. You are so very out of touch..." Naia looked at Ron, "Sorry, but you look ridiculous. Go... change and I will pick out a better outfit." Naia scoffed. she flitted among the rails of clothes and made noises to herself like "maybe..." "Yuch!" And "No, absolutely not!" until she happened upon a blue long shirt, edged in green. Not quite like Harry's, but not unlike it. She presented it to him, with a head cap, and grey trousers and brown boots.  
"Hmph." Link pouted.  
Ron took it and tried it on. "Oh... K." Ron said, looking in the mirror next to the stand. "How much?"  
"Same price," The woman smiled, "Twenty Rupees."  
"Great." Ron handed over four blue Rupees.  
"Let's get back to the castle." Link ushered them back up the road to the castle.  
Ron and Harry were laughing about something called "Quidditch".  
Link felt sick. Really sick. He kept on walking forwards, but he felt like he wasn't there. He started to limp but nobody noticed. His breathing increased ten fold and he coughed, his hands flying to his side, clutching it tightly as he sank to his knees.  
"Link?" Harry said anxiously, "Are you alright?" Ron took a step towards him and he called out,  
"No!" Link said, "Stay... Away." His eyes snapped open again.  
"Bloody hell!" Ron leapt away from him.  
His eyes shined a bright red, his skin becoming ghost white. "AGH!" Link screamed as a shooting pain shot up his side.  
"What do we do?" Ron yelped to Harry.  
"I-I don't know!" Harry knelt down in front of Link and tried to look into the contorted pale face. "If we don't know what's wrong, then we can't do anything!"  
Link gasped and coughed again, sighing and falling into Harry. Harry half caught him and rolled him over so that he was laying on his back, facing the light blue sky.  
He then noticed that there was a rip in his tunic under his hand. He lifted back the material and saw a horrid looking scar. It was an angry red. However, it looked like an old scar. It was a massive scar, though, which ran from almost under his armpit to his waist.  
"Uh-" Harry looked up at the fairy, "Naia! Get the Princess or- or someone who can help! Quickly!"  
"What is going on here?" A booming female voice sounded from behind.  
"Bloody hell." Ron said for the second time.  
Harry stood up and turned around, just managing to stifle a gasp as he saw who it was.  
A very tall and strong looking woman was stood before them. She wore a metal chest plate and middle length deep blue legs. Her under shirt and excess armour was also a deep blue.  
Her hair was in two short silver pigtails. Her eyes were crimson and underneath them were spiky white markings, as if they were eyelashes.  
"Who are you?" Harry asked, quite anxiously.  
"Princess Zelda's attendant, you may call me Impa." Impa rushed over. "Now, what happened?"  
"H-he just collapsed." Harry stammered.  
She knelt down next to the fallen boy and laid a hand on his forehead, "It can't be- The Hero of Time... Has returned?"  
"The Hero of Time?" Ron said incredulously, "Does that mean-"  
"He's really important, or something?" Harry finished.  
"Very. But he's already saved us once." Impa said, scooping the Hero up.  
"We had no idea!" Harry said, gob smacked. "We thought he was just a wandering traveller! Oh, we treated him like dirt!" His hands flew to his head, "I almost cursed him!"  
"Yet, not knowing who he was, you wanted to help him when he dropped to the floor just then." Impa gave harry a piercing look.  
"Yes-well-"  
"Seems that Hero is just a title."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Yes, Link is a hero for many reasons, and he has definitely earned it, but you... are something different. You do not have to save many lives to be a hero. You just have to have the right state of mind and heart."  
Harry stayed silent.  
"Fairy, would you kindly get the Princess? I think it would be unwise to move him when he is in this state." Impa said gently to Naia.


	7. Chapter 7

Naia whimpered and flew as fast as she could to the princess. "PRINCESS ZELDA COME QUICKLY!" She puffed, exasperated.  
"What is it?" Zelda said calmly.  
"LINK...*puff*... TROUBLE... IMPA... Town...HURRY!" She flew off again, hoping the princess would follow. Hermione and the thin maidservant looked aghast and followed.  
Link's eyes fluttered open. His head felt like it had been hit by a hammer and his side felt like it had been gauged open again. "Ugh." He hitched himself up in the bed and looked around.  
He was in a large bedroom. It was a light blue and he was laid in a bed. He found he was newly dressed in a repaired and cleaned set of Hero's clothes.  
"Ah, you're awake."  
Link jumped and snapped his head around to see Impa sat in the chair next to him. "Impa!"  
The Sheikah smiled dully, "Long time no see."  
"Y-yeah." He rubbed his head with his hand.  
"Now I want you to answer me truthfully." She said, tone suddenly stern.  
Link looked at her.  
"What happened to you?" Impa caught him in an unwavering gaze.  
"I found a way to Termina and saved it from the Majora and a falling moon."  
"Yes, we all know that story. We got wind of it from the giants who helped you. What happened to YOU?"  
"I- was an idiot." He looked down at the blue bed covers.  
"How so?"  
"I thought that Navi would be in Kokiri forest and a-" He hesitated, scrunching up his eyes, "-a cursed Stalfos got me."  
Impa's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "You mean-"  
"Yes." Link said, his breath bated.  
"Do you understand what this means?"  
"Yes." Link whispered.  
Impa placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, seeing a tear dropping onto the bed sheets.  
"I'll never be myself again." He rasped.  
Impa's mouth opened then closed again. There was nothing she could say. "I'm sorry." Was all she managed.  
She had known Link since he was ten, a young boy. She had trained him, served as a mother to him, and to see him broken like this was heart breaking. She had never seen him cry before.  
"Is there anything I can do?" She said softly.  
"Unless you can erase the memory of the last seven years, then no."  
"Was it really that bad?"  
"Every time I look up at the moon..." He shivered.  
"You are still too young to have gone through anything like that, and yet fate has called you to it."  
Hermione hadn't made it to the town, but made her way onto the balcony and saw link being carried off. "I hope he is alright. That boy is always in trouble" said the maidservant. She shook her scarce face with a rather severe nose. "My name is mistress Petrel."  
Despite the earlier excitement, the next few days were relaxed and joyful.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione joined the boys. She was wearing a gown of red and white detailing. She looked happy, but bothered. "It's wonderful here." She sighed, " But we need to find a way back."

"Agreed." Harry said.

"Oh, I forgot, Hermione!" Ron said in mock shock and disappointment, "The History of Magic exam is tomorrow! We certainly can't miss that, can we?"

Harry snorted in laughter, "Aww and we didn't have time to revise for divination! What a shame!"

Hermione turned a deep crimson. Her hair stood up a little more and her voice had a sharp edge as she said. "I know it different to you harry, but I thought RONALD here might have some respect for his poor mother and Father, worried and scared and..." a tear came to her eyes. "But if you dont care about getting back of the people who love you then FINE" she walked out arms crossed.

"Woa!" Ron snorted, "What's got her wand in a twist?"

Harry shrugged, watching her leave.

"Oi!"

The two boys turned around to see a fully recovered Link striding over to them.

"Good news! Zelda might have found a way to get you lot home!"

Hermione turned sharply. "Don't worry." She said in a calm, but dangerous voice. "These two don't WANT to." She was mildly sarcastic. "You'll have to put up with them because they obviously don't care." She sighed dramatically.

"Hooo." Link blew, "What's got into you?"

"How do we get home?" Harry said quickly, before anything else happened.

"Apparently, there's something called the "Goddess' Wand"" Link paused for effect, "It's a wand crafted by the goddesses." he blushed, "I-I was meant to pick it up on my travels... but-"

"But what?"

"I ran out of Rupees on the Bombchu Bowling game." He said quietly and quickly, "Anyway! At the time it was in the possession of a man called the Happy Mask Salesmen. However, according to him, he went and lost it in a bet against a Zora when he was drunk." Link rolled his eyes.

"And it's the only known way of getting back?" Harry said.

"Yes."

"Brilliant." Ron sighed.

"What do we do, then?" Harry asked.

"We go to Zora's Domain."

Naia flew around Ron's shoulders. "Yay! Adventure!" She held a small stick aloft as if it was a sword. "Behold my master twig!" She said in a deep voice. She giggled and flitted around.

* * *

They set off straight away, travelling across Hyrule field and heading for the river.

When they got to it, they followed the bank directly east up a valley type natural avenue.

Soon, they came to a waterfall, with no other way to go.

"What do we do now?" Harry said.

Silently, Link slipped the ocarina out of his pocket and placed it to his lips. He started to play a lullaby tune.

All of a sudden, the waterfall parted to reveal a cave hidden behind it.

"Woa." Harry and Ron both gasped.

"C'mon!" Link said, smiling and jumping over the ledge they were stood on into the mouth of the cavern. He turned around and held his hand out to Hermione, as gentleman would to a young lady.

"Uh... Thank you." She said as she took his hand and hopped across the stones. "What exactly... Is a Zora?" She asked.

"LINK!"

"OOF!" As they entered Zora's Domain, a beautiful cavern of waterfalls and a lake at the bottom, a blue woman bombarded Link, knocking him off the side of the ledge and into the water below.

He swam back up to the surface, coughing, "RUTO!" However, he said it in an angry tone.

The woman was floating towards him, grinning like a little girl. She laughed, "You came back!"

"Yeah." He said awkwardly, swimming away from her a bit.

"You came back for our wedding!"

Link's eyes widened. "W-well, uh, we can go somewhere else!" He yelled to Harry and the others and started to swim frantically towards the shore.

"Married?" Hermione scoffed. She smiled. Naia started to say, "You, know link, I didn't think you were the marrying type!" She giggled.


	9. Chapter 9

Link pulled himself out of the water, shaking his hair dry and scooping a sodden green hat out of the lake behind him.

"So where shall we start?" Harry asked, his face still red from laughing, and looking around at the waterfalls.

"I guess we should ask King Zora first." Link said, scratching his head.

Ruto very gladly led them to her father, King Zora, who was perched on a massive throne in a chamber at the top of the highest and most impressive waterfall.

The only resemblance between him and the rest of his tribe was that they were all blue-skinned. He was a big man, who looked like a puffer fish with legs and arms with a crown teetering precariously on his head.

"Ah, Link!" He boomed, smiling broadly, "Long time no see!"

The green hero nodded, laughing nervously.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" The King said jovially.

"Well, we heard that one of your people have a wand in their possession..." Link waited with bated breath.

"Ah, yes!" The Zora said and a smile crept up Link's face, "However, We traded it with the Gorons for some of their bomb flowers."

Link's face fell and he sighed, "But bomb flowers don't work underwater. Why would you need them?"

"They are a good decoration, as long as the youths don't touch them."

"You have got to be kidding me." He breathed to himself. "Right... Does Darunia have it, then?"

"I believe so, yes." But as Link and the others turned to leave, he said, "They have blocked off the way to their settlement with lava."

"What?" Link said hotly, losing his temper, "Who-Who in their right minds would do THAT?"

"We may have something which can freeze the lava flow, however." The King chuckled.

"Where?"

"At the bottom of Lord Jabu Jabu's lake."

"Can do..." Link said, pulling a blue tunic from his adventure pouch and smirking.

Naia's eyes grew to the size of walnuts (which is quite large for a fairy) at the sight of the king. And at his request. Naia lived in a spring , so she was used to water. She flew over to Link looking worried. "How can we possibly swim to the bottom of the lake..." Her eyes darted to the blue suit. "And what is THAT?!"

Hermione was fussing aswell. "Bubble head charm?" She asked quickly. "What if the enchantment wears off... We don't have any gillyweed and Professor McGonagall hasn't even MENTIONED human transfiguration yet..."

Soon, they had entered through the path behind the throne to Lord Jabu Jabu's lake. Link was now in the water tunic, which was blue.

"I'll go down, get it, and come back up." He saluted to the others, who made themselves comfy on the rocks beside the water.

He dived neatly into the lake, swimming as past as he could down to the bottom, where he immediately spotted a patch of light. He discovered that the closer he got to it, the colder he got.

After a while, he had grown close enough to see what it was. It was an entrance to an underwater cavern, which was somehow well lit.

He swam through the gap, emerging into a large, rectangular and deep chamber.

There was a pedestal in the middle, on which a long blue rod sat.

Link kicked out with his feet, triumph shining in his eyes, and reached out for the rod.

There was a loud rumble. The room shook.

"Uh oh." Link thought to himself, and sure enough, as he had foolishly brushed aside before, a shadow loomed above him. He scrunched up his eyes, betting with himself on what it would be. He spun around, bubbles flying from his mouth in shock.

A massive squid, almost as big as the room, flung a deadly big tentacle around, missing Link by inches as he ducked and swam away. He drew the Master Sword and had to recoil as another tentacle came down at breakneck speed and ripped through the water in front of him. At the same time, he lashed out with the sword and cut off the tentacle.

The monster was knocked out for a bit, so Link swam towards it's weak spot; the big glowing eye and hit it a few times.

He repeated the process when it awoke twice.

Finally, after getting battered a few times, the monster fell to the depths of the room, making sand rise from the bank and fading into smoke.

Link nodded to himself, smirking in success and whipped back around. He yelled in pain as he felt his arm twinge badly. His hand flew to clutch his shoulder. It was where the squid had hit him with a tentacle. He shook it off, swimming with one arm to the rod.

Picking it up, Link shot upwards, recoiling every now and then as his arm twinged, finally coming to the surface of the water. "Got it!" He bellowed.

Harry ran to the edge of the lake, smiling, "What is it?"

"It's an ice rod!" Link grinned, swimming to land, drawing himself up, still clutching his arm. He had a limp on, and he was wheezing; one of the blows had winded him.

"What happened?" Ron said, obviously noticing this.

"Gigantic... Squid..." He puffed, pushing a stitch on his side. "Ow... Those tentacles hurt..."

Harry helped him over to a rock, where he sat down, placing the sword and rod down beside him.

"Thanks, mate." Link nodded in thanks, looking at the ice rod. At least they could now get to the peak of Death Mountain. "They need to get pest control in here... I can't keep on decontaminating their lake for them." He chuckled.


	10. Chapter 10

"But giant squids are non- carnivorous, ministry of magic grade XX! They aren't aggressive...!" Hermione implored, confused. Naia circled her bushy hair. " What's a ministry? Squids are vicious!" She waved her arms to mimic tentacles "They grab you with their suckers and slowly squeeze the life out of you then EAT YOU WHOLE!" Naia finished dramatically. Hermione was indignant "No. The aquamarine studies of Graston Hydupe show that they are placid creatures..."

" Well... Not here they aren't!" Naia corrected.

"Hermione, I have a feeling that books from the Hogwarts library aren't going to help us." Harry smiled.

"Oh, Harry, don't give her ideas!" Ron said to Harry, "Next thing you know, she's searching the whole land for Ye old Encyclopaedia of Hyrule!"

Harry inclined his head in an agreeing notion, raising his eyebrows.

"Right." Link said, getting to his feet an wincing a little. He shrugged it off, "We need to get to Death Mountain, and fast."

"DEATH mountain?" Ron asked, "What?"

"It's not as dangerous as it sounds." Link reassured him, "They just don't like visitors."

After giving Harry and Ron VERY angry looks, she proceeded to ask "They? Who are THEY? And why don't they like visitors?"

"Oh, the Gorons." Link said matter-of-factly. "They're a friendly race. Be warned, they like hugs." He shivered, picking up the Master Sword and placing it back in his scabbard. "Are we all ready?" After they all nodded, he pointed to the side, "TO THE NORTH!" He yelled and they all followed him down into Zora's Domain again, laughing slightly at his mock enthusiasm.

"FOR NARNIA!" Naia screamed. Hermione looked at her oddly. "Sorry... I read your book. It was good, but the pages were heavy. Do you have anymore?" Hermione laughed and said, "Of course!" And so she then talked to the fairy on possible literature for a while.

"Please explain more on Gogkons" Hermione asked and Naia told her they were a boulder like race who were strong and friendly.

Soon, they were back out in Hyrule field, trekking across the grassy plain to the looming volcano to the North of Hyrule.

Link's leg injury was constantly hindering him, making him limp a little. However, he did his best to cover it up. He wanted to get to Kakariko Village, the village which was perched at the bottom of the mountain, before nightfall.

Hermione stopped dead. "Guys, we suck." She looked at link, then the boys. "We are WIZARDS!" She went over to Link and held her wand out, pointing it at his injury. "TERGEO!" She waved her wand in an oval, with a fancy flick and the dried blood receded. "And..." She added dramatically, "FERULA! VULNERA SANTNTUR!"

Link put his weight back down on that leg and felt that it was almost completely healed. "Brilliant!" He smiled. "Well, we better hurry up. It's getting dark."

They managed to get to Kakariko just before night fell, reaching the safety of the village with great relief.

"We should rest here for the night then carry on up the mountain in the early morning." Link looked the others up and down, "Yes." He nodded to himself, "You all look very tired."

"Link." Ron said seriously, "WE look tired? You look like you're going to fall asleep standing any moment!"

"He's right." Harry nodded, "You look exhausted."

Link frowned. He didn't feel that tired, "Well, we need somewhere to sleep, don't wor-"

"Hey!"

They all turned to see Impa stood on the steps to the right of them.

"I have room. Come in my house for the night."

Hermione emitted a squeak of fright. Where had she come from!?

* * *

Once they were all inside Impa's house, which was the largest house in the village, she started to make them some soup.

"So you were attacked by a giant squid?" Impa asked Link as she set down the soup bowls in front of her guests at the simple wooden table, a little egg cup full for Naia.

Link had told her what had happened so far in their journey, with some help from the others.

"Yes." He said, smiling at how amusing it actually sounded, "It was... uh... Quite a powerful monster... Ah," He waved his hand, pushing away his worry, "I've faced worse. It's not like I got any serious injuries off it, so it doesn't matter."

"It does!" Impa said suddenly, "Nothing that violent has shown itself for years!"

"So does that mean-"

"Something has reawakened the monsters."

"Hm." Link rested his head on a hand.

"Eat up, anyway." Impa said, "You'll all need your strength if you're going to climb Death Mountain tomorrow."

"Will you all stop calling it that?" Ron said, already three quarters through his soup, "It just makes it sound more daunting!"

"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you, Ron is used to the Valley of Rainbows and Unicorn Hill and... and...Candy Mountains! "She gave him a sarcastic look, "Ron, we call things what they are called. We aren't in some story book full of nursery rhymes."

Her gaze fell upon the window, out of which a stray black dog loomed. It turned its head towards her and held her gaze menacingly. Well, it SEEMED menacing, but it's just a dog, dogs can gaze menacingly. At least, that's what Hermione told herself.

None of the others had noticed the dog.

"Well, I wasn't the one who named the bloody mountain, was I?" Ron said, his ears going red.

Hermione wasn't listening to Ron anymore. "Shut up Ron...Do you have stray dogs around here?" Hermione asked dreamily.

"Not that I know of, no." Impa said.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Never mind... It must have been a shadow, trick of the light or something. I thought a saw a black dog, of all things" Hermione asked Impa, "May I have a cup of tea?" She asked politely.

"Yes, of course." Impa bustled around, making tea, "How many sugars?"

Link had finished his soup and he stretched his arms up in the air, yawning and feeling his back cracking a little. He sighed, "Thanks, Impa, this is really nice of you."

"Not at all." Impa smiled, "You need all the help you can get, you lot!"


	11. Chapter 11

Naia sat perched on a jam jar. She was humming gently to herself and swayed as if tipsy, or entranced. She suddenly swayed too far and toppled off the shelf.

Hermione heard a soft thump as she said, "No sugar, thank you, but I'll have lemon if you have any."

"Ahm." Impa said happily, busying herself with lemon.

Link had his forehead buried in his hands. He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and letting himself go off in a daydream, his eyelids drooping.

"Impa, I think Link needs to go to bed." Harry said, shaking Link's shoulder. He sat bolt upright, stifling a yawn.

"I think you are right there." Impa chuckled, setting down a cup of tea before Hermione. She nodded at the stairs. "The guest bedroom is up the stairs, second room on the left. There should be a couple of mattresses stacked against the wall when you three want to use them."

Link nodded and stood up, "Thanks for letting us stay here." He smiled then went up to the spare bedroom.

Once in the simple but cosy room, he dragged a mattress into a spare space, thinking that Hermione would like the bed, just being a gentleman.

He then collapsed onto it, wrestling his tunic off him and lowering himself down onto the mattress.

All of a sudden, a searing pain shot through his left palm and he yelped in shock. "Ow." He muttered, massaging his hand. The skin seemed a lot paler than usual... He shrugged. Must just be the lighting.

Yawning again, Link closed his eyes. Tomorrow they will go to Death Mountain, get the wand, then take it back to Zelda. Everything would be back to normal and he could keep searching for Navi.

Once he found her he would go to Lon Lon ranch and...

He smiled. He'd like that.

Hermione sipped her tea, "Impa, could you please tell us about... Death mountain and ... The goddesses wand...?" She nibbled a small biscuit.

Naia flew lazily up, "Psssssssh... Don't... Mind me... Just…" She fell with a Soft FLUMP onto the table, near Hermione. "Naia needs sleep too! I'll take her up..." Hermione stood, cradling the blue fae in her hands; she found a cushion and placed her delicately on it next to Link.

"To be honest, I don't really know anything about the Goddesses Wand." Impa said to the remaining two boys, "All I know about it is that it is rumoured to be the most powerful wand ever made, being crafted by Goddesses, it is bound to be." She said. "Now all of you, off to bed, go on!" She shooed them up the stairs.

Harry and Ron entered the room, spotting Link, who was already asleep.

"Poor guy." Ron grunted, pulling a mattress down and handing another to Harry.

"Yeah..." Harry lowered his onto the floor beside Ron's, shaking his head, "I just feel guilty that we were sat there on the edge of the lake whilst he was getting battered by a giant squid." He laid down in bed, sighing as Ron did the same.

"Missing Hogwarts?" Ron whispered.

"A little, yeah."

"I am too. It's weird here. Really different from our world."

Harry nodded, "I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm missing Potions and History of Magic, though."

They both laughed quietly.

"I agree with you there." Ron smiled and yawned, "Good night."

"Good night." Harry replied.

Ron's snores started up after a few minutes of silence, but Harry still lay awake.

Hermione lay in the bed. She knew it was silly, but she felt like a princess in these clothes. She had read about adventures in many different books, more than she dared to count. But they were all about boys having a swashbuckling time, fighting and being heroes. Girls only showed up when they needed rescuing. She was going to change it, her and Naia. real girls rescue themselves, she had read that somewhere too.

"Harry. Go to sleep." She said in a tired voice and drifted off herself.

Harry nodded slightly, "Right." However, he just lay awake still. He yawned, blinking up at the ceiling and after a while, he drifted off to sleep too.

Hermione dreamt about swimming in the Zora domain, swimming in the crystal clear waters, but the squid held a wand and he grabbed her and dragged her down in to the black depths.

There was a cave, with many lights in the water. She drew onto the beach gasping; She was cold, and shivering. She lay there wrenching and gasping; One of the lights was washed onto the shore. It was Naia. They were all drowning fairies. She crawled over and tried to scrape the lights onto the shore, but a black dog pulled her onto shore. He bit and tore at her leg.

She woke in a cold sweat, with a small shout and whimpering. That was a horrid nightmare. She got up, still shaking to close the window. She stopped dead as she saw two yellow eyes in a bush. "Boy-Boys..." The she quivered and squeaked, hoping one of them was still awake.

Link woke with a start, "Hermione?" He said drowsily. None of the others had awakened, "What is I-I-I-It?" He yawned in the middle of the sentence.

" A... The...Gr..I mean black dog... G-g-giant... Nightmare... From my nightmare..." She shook with tears. " I-it's real!"

Link's eyes narrowed at the window she was pointing out of. He got slowly out of bed, his eyes unwavering from the window, his hand curling over the Master Sword. He got to his feet and crept over. Looking out the window, he heard some rustling in the bushes below.

"Stay here." He growled to Hermione, and then tip-toed from the house, still shirtless and very cold.

Link closed the front door behind him as he got out into the fresh air and suddenly realized how foolish he was. He had just come outside to challenge a giant black dog with nothing on except some trousers, bare footed, no shield, and his only weapon being the sword. His teeth chattered; it was extremely cold.

He heard the rustling again and he saw a bush a few metres away from him shake. A few leaves drifted to the ground.

The silence was so tense that he could hear the tiniest leaf toughing the cobblestone ground.

Mist rose above Link's face as he waited, not exactly wanting to make the first move with how unprepared he was.

The bush shook more violently this time and he raised his sword.

Suddenly, it shook even more and out jumped... A cucco.

Link sighed in relief and embarrassment, letting his sword drop to his side.

A hoarse bark and Link was pinned roughly to the ground on his back, looking up into the face of a terrifying black beast, it's jaws foaming and gnashing at his face, fierce yellow eyes gleaming.

"AGH!" Link yelled, struggling with the dog to keep his jaws away from him, wincing as the monster's claws cut into his bare skin. His sword was laid on the ground inches away from the point where he could reach it from. He stretched out his hand, flailing for any weapon, all the time, that sinister growl rumbling like a volcanic eruption waiting to happen.

His head snapped around to the other side. A log was strewn on the ground next to him. Link reached out, grabbing the log and heaving it around in a swipe at the dog's shoulder.

It smashed into the desired place of target and the beast whined, rolling to the ground beside him.

Link scrambled to his feet and snatched up the Master Sword, holding it aloft as the dog got to it's paws, turning and snarling at it's prey.

Naia woke and flew to the window and the crying girl. " Naia... We... You have to..." Hermione gasped.

"I must have been reading too many of your story books, kid, because that looks like... " The blue sprite pointed and Hermione shouted, " HURRY!" Naia flew down and hid in the bushes, waiting to think of someway a two inch tall fae could bring down a giant dog.

The dog lunged at him, but Link sidestepped it and lashed out with the sword, however the blade met nothing.

The black nightmare turned towards him yet again, snorting a little and rushing at the Hero of Time, who very foolishly stayed put to try and land a hit. The dog dodged the blade and fastened it's jaws around his left hand, biting in hard.

"OW! YOU DAMN MUTT!" Link kicked it in the stomach and switched hands with the sword, swinging out clumsily, seeing as he was left handed, but managing to drive the blade into it's leg.

The dog whimpered and let go of his arm, limping back wards. It gave Link one last death glare and growl, then fled, galloping away.

Link held his hand, watching blood bloom over the skin. He panted, stumbling back to the house, but not getting there in time.

His knees buckled and he fell against the door, reduced to just knocking slowly as he lost blood. It seemed that the dog had broken slightly into the artery in his wrist.

"IMPA!" He bellowed when no one answered the door, "HARRY! HERMIONE! RON?!"

The door opened and he looked up to see Impa, her face riddled with shock and concern. She started to blur. "D-dog." He tried to explain before he passed out, "B-big black d-dog." He raised his good hand and pointed at the way the dog had fled, "Attacked..." He sighed as everything fell to black and he swayed.

Impa caught him as he fell, putting pressure on his wrist. She silently lifted him inside, casting an uneasy look around the village before she closed the door.


	12. Chapter 12

Hermione shuddered down the stairs clutching some cocoa. "LINK!" She bolted upstairs and came back down carrying a small vial of Essence of dittany.

"Impa... I need to tell you my nightmare..."

Impa placed Link on a dining chair carefully and straightened up, "Go on..."

She gasped, "There was a lot... Irrelevant... But ... There was THAT DOG ... Attacking me..." Tears started again, "Blood everywhere... And Naia was...Drowning..." Her head fell into her hands as she sobbed "Then I woke up... And IT'S REAL... It...w.. there..."

There was a long pause, then Impa nodded, "Could you have a look in that top cupboard for a jar of red liquid for me?" She said softly.

Naia fluttered back in, "YOU KEEP BLOOD IN A CUPBOARD!?"

Hermione screamed, "NAIA SHUT UP!"

Naia looked shell-shocked but then flew to the table and said, "I was gonna suggest that it is better to keep it in a fridge… Keeps it fresh"

Hermione interrupted again "NOT...THE...TIME!" She hissed.

"It's not blood, it's red potion, fairy!" Impa said angrily.

"Oh, that's good." Naia said,

"But how will a love potion help NOW?!" Hermione screamed. This was really a living nightmare.

"It's not Love potion! It's healing potion!" Impa said impatiently, "Just get it! Quickly, before he loses too much blood!"

Hermione felt useless and just sobbed. But suddenly the tears ran out. She had nothing more to cry. She only felt fear, deep and crippling. She sipped the hot chocolate and it filled her with warmth. Childhood memories flooded back and she remembered a passage of one of her books saying "One way to combat the significant fear left behind as a result of the encounter is chocolate". She knew it wasn't about giant dogs, but it reassured her.

Once Impa had been given the bottle of Red Potion, she pressed it to Link's lips and watched as it disappeared down his throat.

The wound on his wrist healed up, not fully, but healed enough to stimulate the loss of blood.

"Link." She said, shaking him lightly by the shoulders. His eye flickered open, but they were almost closed and he didn't make any other action.

Impa shook her head, "He's lost a lot of blood. Give me that blue potion and it will replenish his blood."

Link had no idea what was happening. All he could see were blurs moving about and he wasn't thinking straight. Where was he? What was happening?

He felt liquid slip down his throat and he coughed a bit. He heard someone say something, but it only registered as a meaningless noise.

Finally, the feeling started to come back in his limbs and he blinked, opening his eyes wider and watching as Impa swam into view, looking at him anxiously.

"I-Impa?" He said, choking a little on his dry throat.

"Thank Nayru you're OK." Impa sighed, getting up from her knees and walking over to Hermione, patting the witch on the shoulder as she walked past.

Link pushed himself up, wincing a little as his wrist stung, "You OK, Hermione?"

"Well...If-by-ok-you-mean-seeing-a-nightmare-and-almost-loosing-sanity,-life-and-limb,-seeing-your-friend-almost-die-and-no-one-hearing-you-scream-and-being-totally-helpless,-then..." She looked at him and the pain in her eyes increased "No!"

"OK, OK!" Link said, gesturing with his hands for her to calm down, "The dog's gone, it's injured, and I'm sure it won't be coming back in a hurry." He said softly, heaving himself up from the chair, "Thanks, Impa, again." He smiled.

"No problem, now get-back-to-bed." She said, ushering them up the stairs.

Hermione kept breathing quickly, but sipped her cocoa. Naia took flight and dived onto her cup and plucked out a marshmallow to eat.

* * *

The next morning, they set off up Death Mountain, after saying farewell to Impa.

Hermione had mustered her courage and strength and packed. She was still having a go at Ron for being messy and well, if she was honest, ANNOYING.

Harry was whistling a joyful tune, obviously to keep up the mood.

Link led them up the trail which wound up the side of the mountain, coming to a stop as he saw lava up ahead. He looked back at the others.

"Right," He said, readjusting his hat a bit, "Take it slow... I have a feeling that the Gorons are going to be pretty flighty, so watch out for any traps." He crept forward, drawing the ice rod from his adventure pouch and holding it aloft. Suddenly, ice burst forth from the sphere on the top of the rod, engulfing the lava and sizzling it away until the path was safe enough to cross. Link smiled.

"Brilliant!" Ron said with an excited edge to his voice.

"I just realized, guys." Harry said as they carried on up the slope, "We're wizards, right?"

Ron nodded.

"And we have wands?" Harry sighed, "We could've used aquamenti!"

"Oh." Ron said, looking sheepish, "Oops. Sorry, Link."

"Don't worry yourself." For some reason, Link was in a really good mood. Maybe it was the sense of adventure, "We've got it now, haven't we?"

"True." Harry nodded a little.

"Knowing YOU Ron, you would have forgotten to pack it!" Said Hermione, who wasn't letting it drop.

"Just leave him Hermione, hopefully they get less annoying as they get older..." Naia chided.

"Hopefully" Hermione said, wary of possible traps.

After a long trek up the mountain, they entered a cave. It was massive, a dirt track spiralling down to the bottom where a gigantic pot was stood.

"See that cave entrance at the bottom?" Link said, pointing at a cave at the bottom of this main room.

Harry and Ron nodded.

"That's where the leader of the Gorons lives, Darunia. Let's get down there."

They set off down the slope which spiralled down the sides of the circular cavern.

"Again..how dangerous are these gorgons?" Hermione asked nervously.

"GORONS" Naia corrected.

"Not too dangerous." Link said, tripping up a bit on a small rock but keeping his posture, "Like I said, they're a naturally friendly race."

"Well...um..." Naia started and looked at Hermione "They can be...Hugs... They are made of rocks and live in the volcanoes...So... Well… They are relatively safe." Hermione looked understanding.

Link nodded respectfully at a few Gorons as they passed. They had changed since he had been there last, looking a lot less jovial and a lot more on edge.

Finally, they reached the head Goron's room. It was a large, earthy, torch-lit room. A massive lump of rock was positioned between two torches against the far wall.

"Darunia?" Link said nervously, looking at the lump. It didn't stir. He raised his voice, "_Darunia_."

There was a loud snort and the lump twitched, a massive, powerful looking Goron emerged from it's ball and slumber. He got to his feet.

"Woa." Both Harry and Ron gasped as Darunia towered above them, gnashing his fists together, a look of thunder on his rough face.

Naia smiled stupidly at it. For her own comfort, "Uh...LINK WILL EXPLAIN. Won't you, Link? Yes you will." She fluttered behind him.

"Uh... Hey!" Link said awkwardly, shifting a bit, "We were wondering if you had a certain wand in your possession?" He bit his lip, waiting in hopeful silence.

"Link? Brother of the Gorons?" Darunia grunted, a smile creeping up his rocky face, "You came back!" He boomed happily, striding over.

"Yeah! Anyway, we-" Link stopped as Darunia patted him on the back. It felt more like getting hit in the back by a bulldozer. He coughed, wheezing a little, but managing to straighten back up again, "We think that you may have traded some of your bomb flowers with King Zora for a wand."

"A wand?" The Goron backed up a little, scratching his chin, "Hm..." He turned away from the group, pushing the wall behind him and opening up a secret room, "Ah." He said.

"Yes!" Ron whispered, balling his fist up in victory as Harry patted him on the shoulder in excitement.

"That is why we blocked the road up here off." Darunia turned to face them again, closing the door behind him with an apologetic expression, "The Gerudos came here a few days ago and raided us for something which they called "The Sacred Wand". Apparently it is extremely valuable."

"And they claimed it?" Link sighed, his face falling from the triumphant smile.

"Indeed."

"You have got to be-" The Hero of Time ran a hand through his hair, his eyes wide, "So I guess it'll be in Gerudo Valley?"

"Yes."

"Right..." Link groaned, "Thanks for the information, Darunia. Off to the west, then!"

"Wait." Darunia boomed, "You have not heard of the recent eruption of Death Mountain?"

"No." Link raised his eyebrows, "Was it major?"

"Well, if you call a dragon killing most of our soldiers major, the yes."

"A dragon?" Of course! Link thought to himself. In the future that almost was, Link had defeated an evil dragon by the name of Volvagia. However, in this timeline, Volvagia must still exist! "And I guess you want me to get rid of it?"

"Well..."

"Right." Link rolled his eyes, "Fine. But only for the heart container..." He mumbled.

"WAIT!" Hermione interjected, "If looking for this wand wasn't dangerous enough already!"

"If you don't want to come along, then you can stay here." Link said, walking to the entrance of a tunnel at the back of Darunias room, "Fine by me." He shrugged, making an exit.

Harry looked at Ron and Ron looked at Harry.

"Shall we?" Harry asked.

"I don't know..." Ron paused, "I mean, he's obviously done things like this before, but us? It's a DRAGON, Harry! We don't know how to fight a dragon!"

Harry looked after Link then shook his head, "Suit yourself... But I'm going." And he ran out before anyone could hold him back.

He followed Link, who hadn't noticed he was being followed, at a distance until they came to a large entrance to what seemed like an old temple.

Link sighed, drawing his sword and walking through the entrance. Harry followed, drawing his wand.

After a few rooms which Harry hid in the shadows and watched Link work out the puzzles, sometimes giving him some anonymous help, they came to what seemed like the crater of the volcano. It was excruciatingly hot.

Link was in a red tunic and wasn't even sweating. Harry, however, was leant up against a boiling hot wall, breathing heavily and sweating buckets.

He watched as the Hero of Time walked slowly onto the centre of the solid crater and drew a massive, silver coloured hammer out of his adventure pouch.

Everything shuddered.

Silence.

BOOM! A Chinese type dragon burst from the crater, showering lava everywhere. Link rose his shield above his head then rolled to the side as the dragon ripped down through the heavy air, swiping its massive claws at Link. He waited as Volvagia repositioned himself, turning around and shooting at the red boy.

He struck at its head with the hammer, knocking it to the floor. The dragon rolled, unconscious into the opposite wall and laid, limp on the ground.

Link walked up to it, puffing, stopping by a gargantuan foot and relaxing, laughing a little to release the tension in his body.

It all happened at once. The dragon's eyes flipped open, its foot shooting up and grabbing Link around the waist, slamming him into the wall beside it.

Link yelled in shock, his sword laying on the ground, out of reach. The beast had him around the throat, slowly chocking him.

It rose another claw, swiping it round and it met flesh. Blood soaked Link's face and arm from two deep wounds, one on his eye and one on his left arm.

"GLACIUS!" Came a bellow, and Volvagia literally froze, ice covering his body. He dropped Link, who collapsed on the ground, clutching his eye, and toppled over backwards, exploding into mere shards of ice as it made impact with the craters floor.

There was a long silence. Harry lowered his wand, looking at the remains of the monster which he had just defeated, shaking, the heat no longer his main priority. He jumped onto the crater, stumbling a bit, disregarding the hot pain on the soles of his feet and sprinting over to Link, who was still laid on the floor.

"Link!" Harry called, skidding to a halt before the pained mass.

Link steadied his breathing, removing his hands from his eye and looking up at Harry, "Harry..." He gasped, "Y-you saved me?"

"I guess you could say that, yes." The Gryffindor held out a hand and the Hylian took it, letting him be pulled to his feet.

"I- I am grateful. It only hit the place under and next to my eye." He tried to open his eye but the eyelids quivered and gave up on him.

"We need to get you to the Gorons." Harry said, grabbing Link's arm and pulling it around his own shoulder, noticing the other laying limp at the side of his already red tunic.

Harry started to walk towards the door, but he tripped on something. He stooped and picked up a heart shaped container. He offered it to Link, who went to take it but stopped himself, looking at Harry,

"You know what?" He smiled, "You keep it."

Harry did as he said, stowing it inside his own adventure pouch. He suddenly felt a lot healthier, a lot more durable. He returned the smile in thanks, continuing on his path.

* * *

After a while of trekking, they came to Darunia's room again. Darunia rushed forward, taking Link off Harry's shoulders and helping the injured over to a chair.

Harry sat down next to Ron, wiping sweat off his forehead and sighing heavily.

Darunia was talking to Link, "So? Did you defeat the dragon Volvagia?"

"No." Link sighed and the latter's face fell.

"You did not?" The goron said in a deeply disappointed tone.

Link shook his head, pointing at Harry, "He did."

There was a long silence. Ron broke it,

"You defeated a DRAGON?!" He yelped, "Wow!" He patted Harry on the shoulder, "Well done, mate!"

Harry laughed, embarrassed, "It was adrenaline. I've never been able to perform the glacius charm before."

"No way! You managed to cast it? The only third year to ever do that is Hermione!" He pointed over his shoulder at her with his thumb, his face alight with an awed grin, "And she can pretty much cast anything!"

Darunia walked up to Harry, silencing Ron. He rumbled, "The Gorons are forever in your debt. You have saved us from complete annihilation. Thank you." He held out a massive hand, much like Hagrid's.

Harry took it, smiling. Suddenly, he was pulled into a suffocating hug, also much like Hagrid's.

"No problem." He said in a muffled voice.

Darunia let him go, beaming at him.

Harry looked over at Link, who was downing a bottle of red liquid. He observed as his wounds started to close up, leaving faint scars behind.

Link rummaged in his adventure pouch and withdrew a simple, brown cloth. He started to wipe away the blood on his arm and face. He was strong again, and stood up, packing up his things and walking over to the others.

"We should get going." He nodded, clearing his throat a bit when no one paid attention to him, "We should get going." He repeated, "To Gerudo Valley."


	13. Chapter 13

"Thank GOODNESS you are both safe! Shouldn't we at least stop to recuperate and gather supplies? This desert doesn't exactly sound like it has an abundance of food..." Hermione said, level headed as ever.

"We'll stop at Lon Lon Ranch on the way." Link said, saying goodbye to Darunia and leading the way out, into the fresh air.

After a while, they had reached Kakariko again.

None of the party noticed a large black dog stalking in the shadows. He seemed to fix his eyes on Harry as a growl passed his lips. He seemed to have instinctive determination, and his eyes betrayed his starving hunger to attack.

Link led them all out into Hyrule field again. The sun was high in the sky and birds flitted around, creating a quiet chorus of twittering.

"Like I said," Link said to Harry as they walked across a small bridge, "We'll stop off at Lon Lon ranch on the way for a rest. Gerudo Desert is quite a way away, after all."

Harry watched with amused green eyes as Link adjusted the collar on his tunic, twisting his belt around a bit. Harry looked quickly away as Link looked down at him.

"What?" The Hero of Time said irritably, unable to hide a little blush.

"Nothing, nothing." Harry stifled a laugh.

"Hm." Link walked ahead, rearranging his gauntlet.

Hermione had picked up on Link's strange behaviour and couldn't stop herself from saying, "Who lives at Lon Lon ranch?"

Link was so far ahead that they could barely hear them as he shouted back, "That red haired girl we met on our way to the castle."

Harry exchanged a look with Ron and carried on.

The sun rose above their heads and the field was bathed in a bright, happy light.

Soon they had reached Lon Lon Ranch.

Hermione smiled knowingly and decided to milk it a bit more. "Would you say you and her are...GOOD friends?" She added a heap of sarcasm and nudged him slightly.

"Well yeah..." Link said as they went through the front gates and emerged onto a dirt track between a farm house and some stables. He paused, "Wait a moment... Are you suggesting that I LIKE her? No!" His face went a bright red and Harry and Ron started to snigger.

"No!" Link said again, aghast, "Not in THAT way, anyway! No! No way!"

Hermione raised her eyebrows in a slightly suggestive way. But then saw Link's expression and decided not to push it any further.

"Link!" That girl came out of the paddocks in the top half of the ranch, rushing to the visitors with a wide smile upon her face, "Are you all OK?" She looked around at all of them as she reached the group.

"Yes, we're fine, thanks." Link smiled broadly.

"Well, come inside for a bit. Father's gone to castle town to stock up on bread." She led them inside the farmhouse.

Hermione smiled graciously and Naia flittered to the girl, she giggled.

Link followed, beaconing the others in.

"Oh!" Malon exclaimed as the group settled down on seats inside, "I'll go get some milk!" She got up and went to leave and so did Link.

"I'll come with you!" He said, practically bouncing out of the house behind her.

As soon as the door snapped shut, Harry and Ron fell about laughing.

"He's so obvious!" Harry gasped.

"I know!" Ron wiped a tear of hilarity from an eye.

Hermione could not contain her laughing, "Stop laughing! It's really sweet!" After saying this she dissolved into chuckles. Naia laughed so hard she fell out the air.

"Uh..." Link said hurriedly as he watched Malon heaving up a crate of milk bottles, "Let me take that!" He rushed forwards and took the crate from the girl, jolting a bit as his hand brushed her's for a moment.

"Link!" Malon sighed, "Stop acting so weird! It's only me, for Din's sake."

Link looked up from the crate and looked at her. He then cleared his throat and kicked open the door of the cow shed, exiting again, "Uh- uh, how has life been?" He asked as they set off across the paddock towards the main house.

"Oh, just normal... Oh, yeah!" She said and the green clad boy looked up at her again, "These men in black cloaks and hoods popped round the other day! They asked me where the princess was and I told them, 'The castle, you sillybillies, where else would she be?' So they set off without another word."

"Men in black cloaks?" Link mumbled to himself, staring at a milk bottle, "And they said nothing else?"

"Not anything!"

"Could you see their faces, under their hoods?"

"Well, one of them had long, bright blond hair poking out of the hood, but that's all I know."

"Right... Well- AGH!" Link yelled in shock as he tripped over a rock and face planted onto the grass, the milk crate right next to his head where he had thrown it out of the way at the last moment.

To his dismay, he could feel himself blushing profusely.

Malon had started to giggle. She bent down and helped him up.

Link brushed dirt off his knees and tunic, an embarrassed frown on his face, "Thanks." He said in a begrudged voice.

Finally, they made it back to the house and they walked in to find the group inside laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Malon asked politely as Link gave them the evils.

"Oh, uh, don't worry!" Ron said quickly, rearranging his expression to a serious one, "So you got the milk?"

"Yep!" Malon smiled as she sat down next to him.

Link placed down the milk on the table.

"And anything else?" Ron asked Link suggestively.

The hero clenched his fists, vowing to himself that as soon as they were out of Lon Lon Ranch, he was going to hit him hard around the face, "No." He said in false calm, "Nothing else, just the milk."

"Oh, OK." Ron said and Harry sniggered a little.


	14. Chapter 14

Naia bit her lip, trying to not laugh. She sat inside an empty jam jar and laughed her tiny head off. Unfortunately, she forgot that glass amplifies sound, so it was louder than she had expected.

Link shuffled over to the jar and slammed a cork in to top of it.

After about half an hour, Link got to his feet, "Thanks for the hospitality, Malon, but we really need to get going if we're going to make it to Gerudo desert before night fall.

"Oh." Malon's face fell a little, "OK! Just look after yourself, yeah?"

"Sure!" Link smiled, mimicking Ron and Harry.

They walked outside into the fresh air and Link paused to take a nice, long breath. But... Was that... Smoke? He opened his eyes as the others started to chat amongst themselves and squinted to look up north.

Flames flickered into the sky, dancing and performing patchy pirouettes. It was the castle.

"GUYS!" Link yelled, then pointed at the fire.

"Is that Hyrule Castle?!" Harry asked, aghast.

"IT IS!" The Hero of Time drew out his ocarina and played a quick tune on it. Epona came galloping towards him and he mounted her quickly, turning his steed around and bellowing, "YA!"

Epona bound forwards, out of the gates and towards the commotion.

"LINK, NO!" Was everyone's reaction.

"Come on!" Harry brought out his wand and sprinted after the mare and her rider, watching the fire burn brightly against the sun.

Naia screamed from inside her jar, "YES CHILDREN LETS RUN TOWARDS THE FIRE." She yelled.

Link breathed heavily, staring at the burning castle in disbelief. Zelda was in there and it was his duty to save her.

He rode Epona over the bridge and into the castle town, where the residents were going wild.

Children were screaming out for their mothers and vice versa, men shouting for their wives and the whole town running from the castle.

Link gnashed his teeth together in anger. Epona reared at the amount of noise, whinnying and tossing her head backwards.

"Woa, woa... Calm down... It'll be OK!" He called to her and patted her neck, then drove her onwards, up the long path to the castle.

"Woa, kid, you can't go in there!" A guard yelled as the rider and steed thundered towards him.

"OUT THE WAY!" Link bellowed and Epona jumped cleanly over the gate, skidding around the corner and drawing ever closer to the burning building of dying hope.

He gasped and ducked as a bright green light flashed over his head and looked around, distracted for a second.

"CRUCIO!" Came a scream and another curse skimmed his elbow. He looked up at the steps ahead to see a figure in a long, dark cloak stood with a wand raised toward him.

Link growled, "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" He grabbed his bow and an arrow and let one fly, watching as it planted itself into the mysterious invader's shoulder.

Epona leapt up the steps and stormed into the blazing castle, her hooves clattering on the cobblestone, flames licking at her flanks.

Link drew his sword and shield, ready to fight whatever he found inside.

Hermione ran up to the drawbridge of the castle, "We can't go in there!" She gasped.

"Outta my way. I got this." Naia clicked her fingers and the glass shattered. She flew at breakneck speed towards the black smoke plumes. She saw a smudge of green and belted towards it, dousing her path in a torrent of water.

They finally emerged into the main courtyard. Link pulled on the reigns and Epona slowed to a halt, rearing slightly and stamping a hoof on the ground, snorting.

His mouth fell open as he spotted what was in front of him.

Another, taller cloaked figure had Princess Zelda held with his arm around her throat, a wand point rested against her temple.

"No." She yelped, "Link! Run! RUN!"

"The Hero of Time? Well, I'd better get rid of you, then." Came a slippery voice from under that hood and the long haired man rose his weapon to aim at Link, who went to raise his shield, but not fast enough.

"Avada Kadavra!"

"NO LINK!"

And a flash of green light was the last thing he saw.


	15. Chapter 15

"Link? LINK!"

Link awoke with a start. He rubbed his face with a hand, "Was all that..." He grumbled, "A dream?"

"LINK!"

It wasn't.

Link was laid on his back in a burning courtyard, Harry shaking his shoulder.

"HOW THE HELL ARE YOU ALIVE?!" Harry bellowed.

"I- What?" Link blubbered. He had no idea what had just happened, "Zelda... ZELDA!" He tried to get up, but his muscles wouldn't work. They just quivered and gave up on him every time he tried to move a limb.

"They took her! The Deatheaters took the Princess! Ron and the others are keeping the entrance guarded. Look, we've got to get out of here, pronto!"

Link bit his lip. He had failed to save her.

"Mate," He addressed Harry, "Can you ride a horse?"

"I might." Harry shrugged.

"Great, well let's get out of here. As long as you're holding on tight, Epona will find us a way out."

"Right!" Harry hitched Link's arm over his own shoulder and lifted him up, onto his feet and dragged him over to the flighty horse.

Harry pushed Link up, onto the saddle as he muttered soothing words to his horse and mounted himself behind Link so the the hero wouldn't slip off.

"Get us out of here, Epona!" Harry kicked her flanks and she set off at a steady pace, galloping out of the castle just as the first floor collapsed.

To his dismay, the path ahead was blocked by a wall of fire. He rose his wand,

"Aquamenti!" The fire held back just long enough for the escort to get through.

Hermione could see everything from the other side of the courtyard. She ran to join them, but a flaming beam fell before her.

She gasped, but Naia found her and calmed her.

"I used to live in Nayru's spring. Watch this!" she spun and water seemed to gush out of the tiny fairy. It cascaded down and put out the fire in a five meter radius.

Hermione watched, but grabbed Naia and pelted after Epona.

Link's heart beats sped up as more of the castle started to fall around them. He spotted Naia and Hermione and called,

"It's no use! The Princess has been taken! Let's just get out of here!" and with that, they broke into a full out gallop and shot through the castle town, making a bee line to Lon Lon Ranch as the darkness of night started to settle on the fields.

"Well at least THEY have bloody horses!" Naia snapped. Hermione looked very worried. Naia thought fast and then sighed deeply.

"Hermione, prepare yourself, don't ask and keep hold of me." Naia began to glow. Her fae senses took over and her appearance warped.

Hermione really wanted to scream, but her being had turned to water. Her eyes glossed over and her vision blurred. She heard as if she was submerged in the ocean, but freshwater. She looked at Naia in disbelief as they walked through the flames.

This illusion drained Naia's energy unlike anything she had ever experienced. After five full minutes, they emerged in the town, which was not on fire and they could drop the illusion.

Naia fell to the ground, her breathing rough and she shook. Exhausted, mentally, physically and magically.

Hermione had so many questions, but picked up Naia and looked around desperately for transport. She spied a farmer piling his goods onto a cart. She ran over and begged him to give them a ride.

"Sir! We are in desperate need of escape, please!" Hermione gushed, "My friend… She…" She held out Naia, who was still panting.

The farmer looked pitifully at them, but then desperately back at his load.

"I... I need to pack. I'm not sure there is time! The fire could spread!" He sounded as scared as he looked. Hermione lifted her wand and hissed an incantation and the cargo hauled itself onto the cart.

"We can pay. Please." She turned to see Link and Epona as a smudge in the distance.

The man looked at them and agreed. They fled.

* * *

Hooves thundered across the firm grass and the palomino slowed to a canter as she entered the ranch, snorting and tossing her head about in anxiety. Harry patted her neck as she came to a halt outside the farmhouse, still quite frisky.

Link had lapsed into silence half way across the field and his unsteady breathing was the only thing keeping Harry from freaking out.

Harry dismounted and helped Link down as the door behind him opened, light spilling onto the grass and creating a wide golden stripe on Epona's flank.

"Oh my-" Harry looked around to see Malon stood in the door way, hands over her mouth and eyes wide, "Bring him inside! Quickly!"

The Gryffindor hitched Link over his shoulder and helped him walk into the farmhouse, hearing Epona trotting into the paddock as the door snapped shut.

As Link collapsed onto the sofa, Harry hurried back to the door.

"What are you doing?" Malon asked him fearfully.

"I'm going back to get the others." Harry took out his wand and went to open the door.

"You can't." Malon said in a small voice, "It's too dangerous!"

"They're my best friends!" Harry suddenly snapped, irritated that she would think of him as such a disloyal person.

"You're being reckless!" She squeaked, her voice high in shock.

"I can't just leave them!"

"Harry..." Link rasped, "They'll find their way back."

"I CAN'T LET THEM DIE! I DRAGGED THEM INTO THIS!" And with that, Harry stormed out.

"No, HARRY!" Link jumped to his feet and staggered to the door, bellowing after the silhouette running away from the ranch, "HARRY, IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO OUT AT NIGHT! HARRY, GET BACK HERE!" He started to run after him, but his legs gave way and he fell to his knees, his shoulders sagging and vision blurring, "Harry..." He rose a shaking hand, but fell, face first into the grass.


	16. Chapter 16

As the farmer drove them away from the burning stronghold, Naia had not recovered. She lay there breathing rapidly. Hermione, however was alert and spotted a flash of red hair amongst the citadel. " STOP!" she shouted to her new companion. A black dog was hunched over Ron and looked at least slightly rabid. " ACCIO!" Hermione screamed when the driver didn't stop.

Ron heard Hermione's scream, but the spell did no use. He was pinned down good and proper. He flinched as the drooling muzzle travelled over his face and he scrunched up his eyes, his breath bated, waiting for the killing bite.

"FLIPPENDO!"

The dog rolled off Ron and the lion got to his feet, stumbling backwards and drawing his own wand.

His saviour came running towards him and soon became distinguishable as he emerged from the fire's dark fumes.

It was Harry, limping a little, but still with a determined look on his face.

But what was that... Behind him... In the smoke... It seemed like a dark figure... With thunderous, pupilless red eyes?

"HARRY, BEHIND YOU!" Ron bellowed as the smoke monster moved slickly towards his friend, a red and black dagger materialising in its hand. It threw its other arm around Harry's neck and pulled him up, into a position which gave him no free movement.

Harry yelled in shock, his wand dropping to the cobblestone ground, leaving him defenceless.

"The wand..." The assassin hissed into Harry's ear, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, "Where is it?"

"W-what?" Harry was struggling to breathe. He looked down at the black gauntlet which had him in this deathly hold and recognised it immediately, "LINK?!"

The being growled in annoyance, "I don't have much time for your foolish detective work, kid!" His arm tightened around Harry's throat, making him grunt in pain and anxiety.

"W-who are you?!" Harry wheezed.

"A shadow... Of the very man you call 'Link'." It spat.

A bark. A flash of black. A glimpse of gnashing jaws.

Harry gasped. This was it, surely? He was going to be mauled to death.

"AGH!"

The arm around Harry's throat loosened and he was able to break free, turning around briefly to see the black dog wrestling the shadow to the floor.

It looked as if it could have been Link's evil twin, his hair as black as Harry's, garbed in a toxic smoke dark tunic and long floppy hat, a dark doppelgänger of the Master Sword on his back.

He didn't have time to gape any longer. Ron grabbed his shoulder and heaved him around. They both sprinted away, casting fearful glances back every so often.

Hermione screamed and screamed for her friends. She didn't notice the cart had stopped, her eyes didn't see the farmer run out and her brain did not make sense of what was happening.

It was then that she passed out. It's wasn't some girly faint at the mere mention of unladylike deeds, it was hitting a stone wall of her consciousness. Her brain stopped working because it could not compute what it was seeing. Now both Naia and Hermione were incapacitated.

The farmer hoisted both boys and slung them over his shoulders. Her dumped them on the cart and rallied the horses. He drove away from the burning castle and its destroyed town. He headed through fields and grassland. He turned only the once to speak.

"I am Talon. Do not ask questions, I need to focus on the ride. Please try to rest. Hold anywhere that bleeds and with any spare limbs grab anything solid and we will go." After that the cart took off with great speed.

* * *

The cart eventually trotted back in to Lon Lon Ranch and Malon came running out.

"Father!" She squealed, "Father, thank Din you're OK!" She ran up to him and hugged him.

Harry jumped off the cart and took hold of Hermione, hitching her up into a bridal lift and carrying her back inside, Ron following with Naia.

Link was laid out on the sofa, sleeping with a wet flannel on his forehead.

Harry placed Hermione down on the other sofa and straightened back up, his mind still contemplating hopelessly over the thing which he had just been a part of.

He had almost died.

However, thanks to the dog which was hunting them, he had managed to get away with his life. Why was that? Was it because the dog wanted to kill them himself? Was the shadow in league with Voldemort?

Hermione's eyes snapped open. She caught her breath and stared at the ceiling. Wait, ceiling? She should be outside! Her fingers twitched amongst the cushions. Cushions? She should be in a wooden cart! Last she could remember Ron and Harry had been viciously attacked by some man dressed entirely in black. With soot black hair and a loose black tunic... Someone of that exact description loomed at the edge of her peripheral vision. He stared at Link, maliciously? Hermione found her wand and flipped quickly and pelted a spell in his/its direction.

"INCARCEROUS!" She shouted, watching the black light jump from her wand.

Harry yelled as ropes wrapped around him and he fell to the floor, squirming and looking around, "Hermione?! What the HELL did you do that for?!"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Hermione tried to look menacing and imposing, however her mask soon morphed into desperate confusion as she looked at a very sooty Harry. He was not the scary man who had attacked her friends, he was just Harry. Blackened by the soot of the burning palace he had just escaped.

"I'm so sorry, I thought you were that horrible man!" She spilt her exasperation while still pointing her wand at him.

Harry got to his feet and nodded, though still a bit cranky. They looked round at Link as he grumbled.

His eyes flickered open and for a moment, he was deep in confusion. Again, the memories hit him. He gasped, sitting bolt upright, "Harry?!"

"Yes?"

Link looked around at Harry and sighed in relief. However, his eyes soon hardened, "Harry, you idiot! Look at you! Bet those Stalkids in the field beat you up! You should have stayed here!"

"What, and let Ron get mauled by a dog?!" Harry said irritably, "'They'll find their way back!' What? From death?! Your cowardice almost cost Ron his life and me a best friend!"

"COWARDICE?!" Link growled, swinging his legs around angrily, "Let me tell you something, Harry; by the look of you, you only escaped death by a chance of luck! Are you calling yourself brave by charging headlong into death?! That's what I call recklessness, and only fools are that reckless! And, Harry Potter, you don't strike me as a fool, so what possessed you to be as careless as to run back to a burning castle at night?"

Harry said in an irritated but small voice, "So that I could bring them back alive."

"If luck hadn't been in your favour, Potter, then you could have died along with them! The whole reason that so many people have just been burnt to death, the whole reason that Zelda has been kidnapped, the whole reason that we are chasing this damned wand in the first place is to get YOU THREE HOME! I'm not complaining, because your families deserve to know that you three are OK, but when you put your life on the line like that, THAT'S when I start to complain!

"What would your mother and father think if I managed to get Ron and Hermione home and you were left behind?!"

Ron cleared his throat a little and looked the other way, a nervous look on his face.

Harry was looking down at his shoes. He mumbled something inaudible.

"I'm sorry?" Link asked, still miffed.

"I said... I don't have a mum or dad who would worry about me." Harry's voice shook slightly, as did his fists.

"They don't care?"

"THEY'RE DEAD!" He suddenly exploded, then stormed out, slamming the door shut behind him.

Link stared after him in shock, "W-"

"You don't know anything, do you?" Ron said in a dangerous tone, "He's the bloody Boy Who Lived. When he was one, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named stormed his house, killed his mum and dad, then went to kill him. But... It happened in reverse. You-know-who got clobbered and Harry came out of it with just the scar." He pointed to his own forehead, "He can get... A little touchy about it sometimes. Also, have you never had a friend who you would die for before?"

Link looked down, thinking deeply and feeling heavily guilty.

Hermione steeled her nerves and took a breath to add her thoughts into the giant cauldron of ideas and opinions already flooding the room they stood in.

"It was an extremely dangerous situation. We can either look back and shout the house down trying to discover who did what, why they did it, who didn't do this and that like CHILDREN. " She shook her head to emphasise her point, "OR we could actually try to do the job we set out to do. If you only look backwards, something will come along and trip you up. We need to prepare ourselves for exactly what we are going to do. We need to know how to get along where we are. Link, you put yourself in a situation which could have got you killed. You can hardly blame Harry for doing the same." She sheathed her wand and sat down on the sofa she had laid on a few minutes hence.

Link shook his head, then stood up, still shaky, but too annoyed with himself to care. He walked out of the house without another word and out into the paddock. He slipped amongst the horses and emerged into a space in front of the trough.

Harry was sat on the side of it, staring up at the stars with Malon next to him with an arm around his shoulders.

She looked up as Link approached and gave him a dirty look which made him stop in his tracks. It shocked him.

"Uh-" He carried on forwards, raising a hand in greeting, "Harry!"

"What do you want now?" Harry looked back down from the stars at Link as he drew closer.

"I... I want to apologise for my... Uh... Careless behaviour... I... I didn't know... And... And can sympathise." Link weighed his chances, then added, "Just as a matter of interest... Can you remember your parents?"

Harry hesitated, then answered dryly, "A little. I can remember their faces... Sometimes even their voices... But that's it."

"It must be nice... To remember your parents. Or maybe I've got it all wrong. Maybe it's better to not remember. I don't know. But... I am sorry about what I said. I just- I just want you three to make it through this alive which I am afraid will be quite a feat."

Harry looked down at his lap. He was right. What if they never got back? What if they would die before the wand was found? It scared him.

"I, uh... I really hope that we can pull this off. Because if we don't then-"

"Link!" Malon had leapt to her feet and was staring at him, fists shaking by her sides and tears shining in her eyes, "How old do you think he is?! He's thirteen, still a boy! Just because you can take the pressure doesn't mean that he can too!"

"I- I just-"

"No, Link! You can't just pile that all on his shoulders and expect him to hold the weight!" She stomped up to him so that she was looking right up to see his face and shoved his chest with a finger, "Stop shoving everyone around all the time and wake up already! It isn't just all about you all the time!"

"I know!"

"Then stop acting like a selfish MONSTER!"

Link stumbled backwards as she pushed him and held the place where her hand had been moments before, "I can't because I am." He rumbled, clutching his tunic and looking down at his left hand, the vision of the skeletal fingers flashing past his mind. He blinked. It wasn't a vision.


End file.
